1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems designed to detect fluid leaks. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems designed to shut off a water supply to an appliance when a water leak is detected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flooding in residential and commercial dwellings costs homeowners and insurance companies more than $100 million every year in the United States alone. For example, household flooding can be caused by bursting pipes or malfunctioning appliances, such as a washing machine or a dishwasher. The resultant flooding often causes damage to the surrounding environment as well as to the appliance itself.
For instance, flooding of laundry rooms is such a common occurrence that many housing codes now require washing machines to be positioned within catch basins. Thus, when the inevitable overflow occurs, it is hoped that the water will be contained within the catch basins and that the water will not flow into other regions of the laundry room. However, unless the manually operated shut-off valves, which are typically positioned behind most washing machines, are closed, water can surge unrestricted through a burst supply hose or can spill from the tank of the malfunctioning washing machine. It is estimated that the unrestricted water flow through the hoses or from the tanks can be approximately three gallons per minute. Clearly, in an unmonitored situation, the flow of water will rapidly exceed the storage capacity of a catch basin and can also exceed the capacity of a drain positioned within the catch basin.
In addition, toilets can be a source of flooding. Generally, toilets include both a float valve and a seal that stops the flow of water into the toilet. However, if the drain line becomes plugged, or if the float valve or seal malfunctions, water can spill from within the toilet bowl or the associated refill tank onto the floor. Furthermore, the toilet supply line can become loosened or can fail. In such instances, fresh water may surge onto the bathroom floor until the manually operated valve, which is typically located behind the toilet, is shut off. Thus, large amounts of water can flood a bathroom if the condition remains unmonitored or unrecognized.